Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-09-23
"DON'T HURT THAT DOG"
Or Mistakes ABOUT uydrophobIa.

/ Extract from n lecture delivered by Dr. A j.
! thanoler, the wen known veterinary surgeon OF
We do not speak upon this important
question so much i'm the intSest of the
dogs as In the interest of humanity. How
ever much we may dislike TO see our most
faithful pets subject To the blows Of the
policeman club. or bullet from the re-
volNer of passer-by, or chased by howl
ing mob crying mad dog, - or pelted with
sticks and stones till he lies lifeless in the
gutter, when his only Oticnse may have
been little dizziness from an overloaded
stomach, or some peculiar expression of
his eyes. or peculiar sound of the voice
or tottering in his gait, il is not insig-
niicant when we take into consideration
that human being. through fear, may
suffer all the terrible agonies Of this
dread disease; yea, even death itself. This
dread is caused in part by the imperfect
knowledge of the disease and by the sell
sational articles so often found in the pa
pers. This is illustrated in cases recorded
by DIR. Spitzka of New York where they
have been suffering from something OF an
epidemic during the past year. ON one of
the avenues in that city a horse was
seized with the same nervous symptoms.
1t was reported that the animal had been
bitten by a dog. and although the report
alarming announcement of the outbreak
of hydrophObia was published in the larg-
est possible type. The ink was scarcely
dry before a competent veterinarian de
cided that the horse was suffering from an
ordinary equine disease, known as cerebrO
spinal meningitis. Another epidemic was
announced in startling head lines the facts
of which proved 10 be that a little dog had
been suffering from a fit, which the autopsy
showed had been brought on by his greed-
ness in swallowing more chicken bones
than he could digest.
An epidemic of hydrophopia was at one
time reported from southern Illinois.
! That the report was false is evident from
several facts cited from the report of the
state board of health: w. Bundscheck of
North Alexandria county, was bitten year
ago 10y dog, which was summarily exc
cuted. The wound healed very slowly,
and the patient lived in constant dread
of hydrophoba which was greatly aug
mented when certain newspaper pub
lished column after column If Pasteurs
methods of curing the dread disease
Some months after he was taken i'll with
fever, had commissions and was pro-
nounced hydrophobc 10y his physician,
who duly chlorofOrmed him. The pa
tent's friends were dissatisfied with this
= diagnosis, and called in another physician.
who discovered that il was a case of severe
! intermittent fever, and under appropriate
treatment succeeded i'm mastering the real
and imaginary disease, and thus saved
! Mr.. Bundscheck's life.
\ similar case Of spurious hydrophObia
occurred in the practice of Or. Feery of
Staten Island. In this case the patient
was informed that he had an ordinary
form OF delirium, and ultimately recover
ed.
II is very probable if this patient, or
his fellow sufferer in Illinois had been
starved, chloroformed and terrified. the
verdict would have been; ''Died from the
bite Of a mad dog. -
\ very interesting case is recorded by
| Dr. j. y. EXton, president of Hudson
county med cal society, which is best told
! in hi, own words: Willie Kler, aged 10,
an inmate Of the Sacred Heart Industrial
school, was bitten by dog January l.,
in the city of Patterson, y. j., while home
on vacation. He returned TO school the
next day, ard was 10 all appearances i'm
/ his usual health. January -, he was
with Others of the institution successfully
yaccinatcd. Notwithstanding his arm bore
evidence f former successful aetna
| tion. January 23d he was sent 10 bed by
/ the sisters because he had It's. In giving
me a history Of the case. they said he
would grow and bite or make attempts to
do So; that saliva would How from his
! mouth, AID that he seemed in constant
fear that me one was 90 NJ to harm him.
| January % ! saw him at one O'Clock and
! he looked bright and intelligent. pulse ~.
temperature normal. The sisters in
charge said he had passed comfortable
night after having taken 10 grS. of POtaSsa
! Bromide but that at , a. m, when the
! bell was sounded. he Immediately went
! into COMMISSIONS which lasted five min
uteS, during which he would growl. bark.
| etc.
Desiring o get more knowledge of the
case. | ordered the bell To be sounded.
/ The lad was sleeping when this was done;
! immcd ately he raised himself slowly i'm
/ the bed, snapped, bdrkcd audibly many
/ times, grUwied. Clutched tie covers spas
medically. and hid his head and moaned,
! the arms and legs remaining fixed. |
! allowed him to s.ecp some time, and TAX
ing some water, turned it from one glass
TO another In front of him, purposely
dropping some upon him. This caused no
seisure, and up II suggesting TO drink
/ some, he drank with a re- ish. | ordered
| him a NapOr bath. 10 lie continued 20 or 80
minutes, before beginning which he was
to have drahm II. Ext. al randi this
dose to be- repeated every half hour till
! three were given. Upon coming from the
| bath he was 20 have Bromide Potassium
and ChOral Hydrate.
pom my visit the next day, the boy
was perfectly Quiet, and had been 80 since
coming from the va or bath. The bell
which on the previous day. caused a SeiZ-
ure was again tried hut to no purpose.
He had eaten properly and without diff
Guilty of deglutition and WIS in every way,
a. far a. uld see. him Elf again. The
.lalor ndi of course. caused free IA ivaton,
which fixed the case in thu minds of the
attendants "A, one If tables. Question:
Was this hydruphu ia or was il hysteria?
TIE great in uencc which
cxpectant attention has in provoking
pecul ar sensations. g en- in calm and
cOJrag Gus persons, j. illustrated
in the case Of patient under the treat
ment Of Dr. :. H. Spencer of Watertown.
The patient tells the story in these words:
IL have followed DIR. Spencer's advice and